1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a body structure for a convertible car.
2. Description of Related Art
One of known open cars is a convertible type having a folding or removable roof that is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,422. While on the other hand the convertible car having a folding roof is advantageous to noise reduction and improvement of safety in addition to a more attractive outer appearance as compared with convertible cars having a canvas hood while the hard roof is unfolded, the convertible car is somewhat difficult to secure reliable occupants"" safety upon an occurrence of a turnover of the car while the hard roof is unfolded.
An open car having a structure incorporated with the intention of securing occupants"" safety is disclosed, for example, in Deutschland Pat. No. 3502574. The safety structure comprises a window frame for what is called a triangular window (a windbreaker or front ventilator window) mounted to a door and lock mechanism operative to lock the window frame to a car body upon an occurrence of a turnover of the car. The window frame locked to the car body bears the weight of the car body upon an occurrence of a turnover of the car, so as thereby to secure occupants"" safety.
A triangular window in a window frame mounted to a door of an open car blocks occupants"" vision in an obliquely forward direction of occupants and hinders visual recognition while running.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a car body for a convertible car having a folding roof and a transparent windshield covering a front window opening that provides occupants with broad obliquely forward vision and improved visual recognition in addition to a strong feeling of openness
It is another object of the present invention to provide a car body for a convertible car having a folding roof and a transparent windshield covering a front window opening that is improved in structural rigidity so as to increase occupants"" safety upon an occurrence of a turnover of the car.
The aforesaid objects of the present invention are s accomplished by a body structure for a car having a folding roof and a transparent windshield covering an front window opening that comprises a side body section having a door opening, a door opening and closing the door opening, and a windshield pillar extending almost vertically from the side body section so as to support each of opposite sides of the transparent windshield. The windshield pillar is positioned behind the front window opening and on one side of an occupant of the car.
According to the car body, the front window opening is closed by fitting the transparent windshield to the windshield pillar is positioned behind the front window opening and on one side of an occupant of the car, there is no necessity for the car body to have a windbreaker or front ventilator window, i.e. what is called a triangular window, that the conventional open cars are provided with. As a result, the obliquely forward vision, and hence visual recognition, is increased and a feeling of openness is strengthened, in particular, while running as an open car.
The obliquely forward vision, and hence the visual recognition, and the feeling of openness are considerably improved by positioning the windshield pillar behind a front end of the door opening in a lengthwise direction from the front to the back of the car body.
The windshield pillar may be positioned above an upper end of the door closing the door opening. This makes the door to bear partially an external load applied to the windshield pillar upon an occurrence of a turnover of the car, so as to increase occupants"" safety. Further, the transparent windshield may be secured to the windshield pillar at an outer side in a transverse direction of the car body. This structure avoids irregularities of an outer surface of the side body, so as to provide the car body with an even outer surface at the side that leads to an attractive side appearance and improved aerodynamic characteristics of the car body.
The windshield pillar has a closed cross section so as to receive a windshield pillar reinforcement therein such as made of a hydroformed pipe or a foam packed structure. This reinforced windshield pillar is compact although having an increased rigidity. The windshield pillar reinforcement of hydroformed pipe is light in weight, high in structural rigidity and predominant in formability. On the other hand, the foam packed structure is light in weight and high in structural rigidity.
The body structure further comprises at least one of side body reinforcements incorporated in rigid structural parts of the side body section of the car body such as a hinge pillar that are formed by outer and inner panel members secured to each other so as to form a closed cross section so as to receive the side body reinforcement. The side body reinforcement may be incorporated in either one or both of a rigid structural member that continuously extends from the windshield pillar as one integral piece such as a door hinge pillar and the side body that functions as a rigid structural part of the side body section when it is closed.
The side body reinforcement is connected to the windshield pillar reinforcement through a reinforcement extending in the lengthwise direction. Otherwise, the side body reinforcement is installed in and connected to the door so as to be in alignment with the windshield pillar in a vertical direction while the door is closed. In the case where the side body reinforcement is incorporated in the door hinge pillar as a rigid structural member that extends continuously from the windshield pillar as one integral piece, the side body reinforcement is continuous from the windshield pillar reinforcement and connected to the door hinge pillar. In this instance, the door hinge pillar may comprise outer and inner panel members secured to each other so as to form a closed cross section within which the side body reinforcement is disposed.
The body structure with the side body reinforcement, that is installed in the door hinge pillar or in the door, makes a side shill as a rigid structural member to receive the external load transmitted to the side body reinforcement through the windshield pillar upon an occurrence of a turnover of the car. This makes occupants"" safety more reliable. Further, the side body reinforcement that is disposed between outer and inner panel members forming a rigid body member such as the door hinge pillar and the door effectively transmits the external load to the rigid body members upon an occurrence of a turnover of the car. In addition, the side body reinforcement increases an impact load resistance of the side body section including the door upon an occurrence of a side collision, in addition to increasing the rigidity of side body section.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the car body is equipped with a pop-out type tip-over protection structure The pop-out type tip-over protective structure comprises turnover detection means for detecting a turnover of the car body such as, for example, a gravity sensitive switch and a mercury switch, a guard strut received for slide movement in the windshield pillar and lock means for locking the guard strut popped out. The guard strut pops out partly of the windshield pillar when the turnover detection means detects a turnover of the car body so as thereby to bear weight of the car body when the car overturns.
The pop-out type tip-over protection structure installed in the windshield pillar not only causes no aggravation of attractive outer appearance of the car body but also makes it possible to lower a top of the windshield with the intention of strengthening a feeling of openness. In addition, The pop-out type tip-over protection structure popping out partly of the windshield pillar makes occupants"" safety more reliable upon an occurrence of a turnover of the car.